


Cinereous

by jlarson



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Dark Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Underworld, Established Relationship, Fire, Fire Mermaid Julian Larson-Armstrong, Hell, M/M, Mermaid Julian Larson-Armstrong, Prince John Logan Wright III, Prince of the Underworld John Logan Wright III, This Work Is Actually Fairly Tame In Comparison To The Tags, Underworld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jlarson/pseuds/jlarson
Summary: “How do you always know that I am present, even when I conceal myself so completely?”Julian’s grin is sharp and inhuman. “The same way you always know where I am.”Fire Mermaid Julian and Prince of the Underworld Logan meet in their cave.
Relationships: Julian Larson-Armstrong/John Logan Wright III
Kudos: 7





	Cinereous

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this work contains imagery of fire, water/the sea, and hell/the underworld. It's tame, but it might not be for you. Also Julian is nude for a second because of the mermaid transformation, but it's vague and not described.

Julian emerges from the water and plants his hands onto the sea cave’s sandy ground, using them as leverage to pull himself up into a sitting position by the water’s edge. He drags himself further away from the shoreline, feeling his way with his palms, unable to see much in the near-pitch black darkness so deep within the cavern, the only source of light the muted glow emanating from his very being. It hardly fazes him, though—he’s been here numerous times before, knows this cave like the back of his hand. After countless nighttime rendezvous, Julian has grown accustomed to the absence of light. He flicks his tail, trying to rid it of excess water, causing water droplets to spray against the cave walls. 

Once settled a good distance away from the water, he brings his left hand in front of him and snaps his fingers, the sound echoing in the vast cavern. Small but powerful tendrils of fire ignite at the joined tips of his thumb and pointer fingers, illuminating the cave and bathing it in a blood-red glow. Julian studies the fire for a moment, admiring it, observing the way the licks of flames dance to their own rhythm. Steam begins to roll off of his body, lifting away the moisture clinging to his person, being boiled away as Julian wills his body temperature to increase. He then opens his hand, fingers splayed, allowing the fire to spread across his palm. He leans forward and begins to carefully run his blazing hand over his tail, hastening along the drying process. His tail—an ethereal, magnificent sight, his gleaming scales in the swirling gradients of all the colors of an inferno, lit up from within by the fire always raging inside him—slowly fades away, gently parting down the middle to reveal his human legs. 

He runs his hands over them with a sigh, feeling the smooth, unmarred skin. He will always prefer his beloved tail, but he needs his legs to be able to walk on land.

Suddenly, a smirk forms on his lips. He doesn’t turn around and remains facing the entrance of the cave, gives no further indication that he senses another presence in the cavern. Julian allows the silent onlooker to watch for a few moments longer before speaking.

“Are you going to simply hide there and gaze at me all night, darling?” With a flick of his wrist, Julian sends tongues of fire flying towards the sconces that line the walls of the cave, setting them alight. 

The deep shadows in the furthest, darkest part of the cave where the light from Julian’s fire can’t reach grow impossibly darker. The smokey wisps peel themselves off of the cavern’s walls and come to life, twisting together, swirling around faster and faster in a whirlwind so powerful that sand billows up in the air as stalactites and stalagmites break away from their roots and are crushed and swept up in the maelstrom, a screeching sound filling the air. Julian watches as the column of darkness contorts until the eye rests upright on the ground. A man nonchalantly steps out of the inky portal, as though he were merely passing through a doorway, the shadows dispersing and settling immediately. 

The man is tall and broad-shouldered, with a shock of blond hair and eyes as green and intense as poisonous fire. He is dressed in dark clothes as misty as the shadows he manifested from, the darkness coalescing together to cloak him. His waistcoat is elegantly patterned with mournful roses and deadly belladonna, the blooms shifting along with the shadows as if a gentle breeze were blowing against them. The dress coat over it is regal and fit for royalty, the emblem of a dark angel’s wings imprinted on the collar nestled in the middle of his throat. Instead of the breeches favored by human nobility, the man wears trousers that tuck into a pair of practical boots.

“How do you always know that I am present, even when I conceal myself so completely?”

Julian’s grin is sharp and inhuman. “The same way you always know where I am.” He holds out his right arm and curls his fingers, gesturing for the man to come closer. The man obeys and helps him stand up with the practiced ease of someone who’s done so a thousand times before. 

Julian presses his hand to the man’s cheek, his smile softening. “I’ve missed you, my Logan.”

Logan smiles in kind, wrapping a strong arm around Julian’s waist. “I missed you, too, sea blossom.” Shadows emanate from Logan’s hand on his side, covering his naked body in the same ghostly clothing as his own. 

Julian’s delicate lips slip down into a frown. “Logan,” he whines, “you know how I hate to be clothed.” He untangles himself from his lover to unfasten his shirt collar, glaring down at the loose material, as well as the trousers and boots Logan has cursed him with. 

The prince only rolls his eyes in response. “Most people wouldn’t even consider your attire as fully clothed.” 

“I don’t think either of us can be considered _‘most people.’”_

Logan’s lips quirk in amusement. He couldn’t argue with Julian there.

A large crack suddenly appears in the wall at the very back of the cave. The cracks quickly multiply, the rock disintegrating and a dark, yawning chasm appearing in its wake. A whirlwind similar to Logan’s starts to spin, the pull of it so strong that it would’ve sucked in any poor mortal that happened to be within the vicinity, but the two creatures remain standing, still and unbothered, rocks and other debris flying past them into the gates of the underworld.

Julian loops an arm through Logan’s. The howling screams of the damned are deafening, but they pay them no mind. They begin to walk towards the portal at a leisurely pace.

“So, to what do I owe the summons of his royal majesty himself? I was quite surprised that he asked for me personally.”

Logan sighs theatrically, an automatic response to any mention of his father. “He wants your assistance in taming the monsters of the Phlegethon. They’ve been particularly restless as of late.”

Julian hums. “They are rather fond of me.” He looks at Logan imploringly. “Will you play me something on your organ afterward?”

Logan’s smile is full of affection. “Of course. Mother also knows that you’re coming, so be prepared to stay for supper.”

“She’s not going to attempt to feed me pomegranate seeds again, is she?”

Logan chuckles. “I make no promises, my love.” 

The gates close behind them without a trace.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is short, but it took me _out_. I started it almost a year ago, left it to collect dust for months, and only finished it today. I listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUE10gi0KG4&t=0s) playlist while finishing it, and took inspiration for Logan's attire from [this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ab/e5/a8/abe5a89db791bd86e6de269a6f3061fb.jpg) (waistcoat embroidery), [this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b7/1a/47/b71a47b41b6b516089ef1a4640fb1fd5.jpg) (waistcoat embroidery), [this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d1/b9/04/d1b904dc16ab5d1dcb556d8ccd59c2ca.jpg) (collar embroidery), and [this](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/157310?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&when=A.D.+1600-1800&what=Suits&ft=suit&offset=20&rpp=20&pos=26) (whole ensemble). Thank you to everyone on the Dalton discord server who helped me choose. Julian's shirt takes inspiration from [this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d4/f8/0d/d4f80d7a55b2decd2be39d2b50cc7cd6.jpg). I may or may not have ideas for expanding on this later.


End file.
